Police arrest suspect in preschool bomb threat, bank robbery attempt

Teller gets call from man saying preschool, bank will be bombed if money not dropped in dumpster

By Shanna Sissom

City Editor

A Midland man was arrested Friday after allegedly phoning a downtown bank and threatening to detonate a nearby preschool and the bank building if an undisclosed amount of money was not dropped in a Dumpster.

The Midland Police Department, assisted by Midland Independent School District police, evacuated the children at West Early Childhood Education Center, 2101 West Missouri Ave., and First American Bank, located at 1111 Andrews Highway, and secured the buildings as crime scenes as the FBI joined the investigation that led to the arrest.

Manuel Ramos Jr., 19, was apprehended after showing up near the Dumpster where the money was supposed to be dropped, authorities reported. He was charged federally with using a telephone to threaten, kill, injure or intimidate by means of an explosive device.

The children were evacuated to the Museum of the Southwest while some nervous parents learned about the threat on mywesttexas.com or by word of mouth.

"Those parents still a little nervous came and took their children home," explained MISD spokeswoman Melissa Hendrix-Beach, who said most parents were just relieved the children were safely evacuated. "When we received the phone call from the Midland Police Department, we evacuated immediately and everything went smoothly."

MPD Chief John Urby declined to say how much money the caller demanded but said the motive was money.

"It was financial," Urby said. "But it's still being investigated.

Urby called the joint investigation, which also included Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and bomb-sniffing dogs out of Lubbock, a smooth operation.

"It was good police work and we're fortunate no one was hurt," Urby said.

The school was cleared for students to return at 2 p.m., and the bank was turned back over to employees at 2:40 p.m.

Ramos was being interrogated late Friday and the FBI was involved, bureau official Bill Vanderland said. He was being held at the Midland County jail without bond.